Door opening and door checking device



R. -l. SCHONITZER npoR ornnmc- AND noon CHECKING-DEVICE Filed Feb. 5,1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I FIG.3

I INVENTOR. RUDOLPH I. SCHONITZER BY W 2 M 7 47 ATTORNEYS FIG.4

Oct. 29, 1940. R. l. SCHONITZER DOOR OPENING AND DOOR CHECKING DEVICE 2sheetsesfieet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1940 FIG.6

v INVENTOR. RUDOLPH LSCHQNITZER.

ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE noon ornnmcAND noon cnncxmc nnvror:

9 Claims.

This invention relates to door opening devices and to combined dooropening and door checking devices, said devices preferably being of suchcharacter that they yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree)the closing of the doors with which they are used from the openpositions to which said doors are automatically movable by said devices.As will hereinafter appear, devices embodying the present invention areparticularly adapted for use with doors which are so hinged on theirsupporting structures that the hinge edge walls .of said doors and thehinge edge walls of said supporting structures are in oppositelypositioned or generally abutting relationship when said doorsare intheir closed positions, such as the doors of automobiles or the like,for example.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a devicewhich comprises expansible means for association with, and whichsupporting structure therefor, said expansible means being put inthe'desired loaded condition during the closing of the door and beingcapable, by its expansion, of automatically effecting, upon theunlatching of said door, the movement of said door to any desired openposition, either a partially open position or the fully open position01' said door. Preferably, said expansible means is of such characterand of such compact form that it may be associated with (such as bybeing pivotally connected to) said door and its supporting structurebetween the general planes of the inner and outer side walls thereof,all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a devicewhich comprises a pair of relatively movable elements in lappingrelationship and by one or both of which is carried a compression springor the like, one of said ele- 40 ments, in the use of said device,having pivotal connection to, or other suitable association with, thedoor to be automatically opened, and the other of said elements havingpivotal connection t.Q.,,.9 r other suitable as o i omwifthwthesupporting structure for said door.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a combineddoor opening and door checking device which is efl'ective, upon theunlatching of the door with "which'it is used,to'

automatically open said door to any desired extent, and to check orarrest the opening moveis effective at all times on, a hinged door andthe Another object of the presentinvention is the provision of a devicewhich is effective; upon the unlatching of the door with which it isused, to automatically open said door to any desired extent, to checkthe opening movement of said door 5 when it reaches its fully openposition, and to yieldingly resist (but only to a desirable degree) theclosing of said door from the open position to which it is automaticallymovable.

. Other features of devices embodying the pres- 10 ent' invention are.their structural simplicity, which enables themto-be made and sold atlow cost; their strong and rugged character, which enables them to havean exceedingly long life in service without requiring attentionfrom-time to time; and the eiliciency with which they perform theirintended functions, namely, the function of automatically opening to anydesired extent the doors with which such devices are used and thefunction of yieldingly resisting (but only to a desirable degree) theclosing of said doors from the positions to which they are automaticallyopened; or those two functions with the additional function of checkingor arresting the opening movement of said doors when they have reachedtheir fully open positions.

Further features of devices embodying the present invention are in partobvious and in part will appear from the following description of threeof such devices, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of a portion oi a left frontautomobile door and that portion of the automobile body on which saiddoor is hinged,

partsof the outer side walls of said door and body portions being brokenaway to show the combined door opening and door checking deviceassociated therewith, the door being in its closed position; Fig. 2 is ahorizontal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, through said door andbody portions, the view being on the line 2-2, Figs. 1 and 3; Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional view through said door and body portions, on theline 2; Fig. 4 is averticai sectional-view through said body portion, onthe line 4- 4, Fig. 4 2; Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 butshowing the door in its fully open position; Fig.

6 is a'perspective view of one of the end mom- "bers of such dooropening and door checking device, said end members being the parts whichare pivotally connected to said door and body portions; Fig. '7 is aperspective view of the other end member of such device; Fig. 8 is aview corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the door open- 1:15 and doorchecking device of Figs. 1 to '7 inelusive reversely connected to a leftfront automobile door and its supporting body portion;

Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 but showing said dooropeningand door checking device 5 assecured in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is anaxial section of a modified form of a door opening and door checkingdevice embodying the present invention; and Fig. 11 is an axial sectionof still another form of a door opening and door checking deviceembodying the present invention.

Before the present invention is described in detail, it is to beunderstood that such invention is not limited to the details ofconstruction or the specific arrangement of parts herein illustrated ordescribed, as the invention obviously may take other forms. It also isto be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein employed isfor the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Although devices embodying the present invention are applicable for usewith any hinged door having its hinge edge wall oppositely positioned orin generally abutting relationship with respect to the hinge edge wallof its supporting structure (the structure on which said door ishinged), the 1 devices here involved are particularly useful, as

heretofore pointed out, with the doors of automobiles or the like, andfor purposes of illustration and not of limitation, the use of one ofsuch devices with present-day automobile doors is here shown anddescribed.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to '7 inclusive, the reference numeral Idesignates: a portion of a left front automobile door, said door havingits transverse front edge wall 2 suitably hinged, as is usual, on thetransverse rear edge wall 3 of that portion of the automobile body shownin Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive and designated generally by the referencenumeral 4, a pair of exposed hinges I 4 being used for that purpose, andthe door hinge axis being indicated by the reference numeral 8. As bestshown in Fig. 2, when the door I is in its closed position, the door andbody edge walls 2 and I (which edge walls are hereinafter termed 45"hinge edge walls) are in oppositely positioned or generally abuttingrelationship, by which is meant that such hinge edge walls areoppositely positioned or disposed and either in actual contact, or, ashere shown, relatively close to each 50 other.

Although any suitable means may be utilized for releasably retaining thedoor I in its closed position and for actuating said retaining means torelease said door for opening movement, (said 65 retaining means beinghereinafter referred to broadly as latch means) devices embodying thepresent invention are particularly useful in con- Junction with doorswhose latch means have push-buttons or the like for effecting releaseaceo tuation of said latch means, as opening movement of said doors, toany desired extent, is automatically effected by the invention hereinvolved. Projecting handles by the use of which presentday automobiledoors are unlatched and manual- 35 ly opened, not only are dangerous (inthat many severe injuries have been caused by them) but also, saidprojecting handles seriously interfere with the streamlining effects nowdesired for automobile bodies. Inasmuch as a device em- 70 bodying thepresent invention automatically effects, upon the unlatching of the doorwith which it is used, the opening of said door to its fully openposition, the use with such a door of the present-day handles for dooropening purposes 75 is wholly unnecessary. As a result, simple push?buttons or the like, desirable from many standpoints, may be used withthe latch means of a door with which is used an automatic opening deviceof the character here involved.

The latch means, therefore, of the automobile door I of Figs. 1.to 5inclusive may be, and

preferably is, of the type in which push-buttons or the like areutilized for effecting release actuation thereof. For example, saidlatch means may be of the form disclosed in my copending application forDoor opening devices, filed August 21, 1939, Serial No. 291,240, or inother words, latch means embodying the invention of my prior Patent No.2,094,413 for Door control mechanism. to which patent reference may behad, if desired. However, inasmuch as the latch means of the door Iforms no part of the present invention, no latch means for such door ishere shown or described.

As will hereinafter more fully appear, each of the devices hereillustrated (devices which are capable of automatically swingingrelatively heavy doors, such as present-day automobile doors, topartially open positions thereof or to their fully open positions) is ofsimple and inexpensive character and of such compact form that it may beeasily and conveniently mounted between the general planes of the sidewalls of an automobile door and the general planes of the side walls ofthat portion of the automobile body on which said door is hinged, therebeing (see Figs. 2 and 8) more or less alignment of the outer side wallsof such door and such a body portion and more or less alignment of theinner side walls of such a door and such a body portion, when said dooris in its closed position. As a result, the devices here involved notonly are eminently satisfactory from structural and functionalstandpoints but also, are commercially practical for presentdayautomobile doors, as such devices are concealed from view when the doorswith which they are used-are in their closed positions, and the extentof their exposure, even when'such doors are in their fully openpositions, is such that said devices are entirely unobjectionable.

Although devices embodyingthe present invention may take various forms,as will be readily understood and as will hereinafter more fully appear,each of said devices, in its broader aspects, comprises expansible meansfor association with, and which is effective at all times on, the doorto be automatically opened and the supporting structure therefor.

'Ihree specific forms which devices embodying v the present inventionmay take are here illustrat ed. and each of those devices includes anexpansible part/in the form of a coiled compression spring, and a pairof relatively movable, elongated elements by one or both of which saidcompressionspring is carried and guided during expansion and contractionthereof. Preferably, said elements are in lapping relationship(telescopic relationship, as here shown), and in the here disclosed useof the device of which they are parts, the front end portion of one ofsaid-elements and the rear end portion of the other are pivotallysecured by means of brackets or otherwise to the door to beautomatically opened and to the supporting structure therefor. Duringthe closing of the door with which such device is used, the coiledcompression spring of such device is compressed and thereby put in thedesired "loaded condition, and upon the unlatching of said closed door,said spring expands and thereby automatically effects the movement ofsaid door to any desired open position. as will more fully appear.

In addition to automatically opening to the extent desired the doorswith which the present v devices are used, said devices yieldinglyresist, to any desired degree, the closing of said doors from the openpositions to which they are automatically movable, the degree of suchdoor closing resistance being dependent, of course, upon the compressionresistance of the springs of such devices when said doors are in suchopen positions. Therefore, by the selection of a spring having theproper compressionresistance when the door with which it is used is inthe open position-to which it is automatically movable, any desiredresistance to door closing movement can be obtained, as will be readilyunderstood.

Furthermore, devices embodyingthe present invention, (such as the deviceillustrated in Figs.

1 to 9 .inclusive, for example) may, if desired, determine the fullyopen positions of the doors with which such devices are used, or inother words, determine the extent to which such doors can be opened,thereby making wholly-unnecessary the use with said doors of separatechecking means such as are now used with automobile doors for yieldinglyor otherwise checking or arresting the movement of said doors when theyhave been manually swung to their fully open positions.

Referring now to the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive, itwill be noted that such device comprises a pair of telescopicallyrelated members, one of said members being in the form of a tube 8 andthe other being in theform of a bolt 9, the head I0 of said bolt beingdisposed within said tube at all times. Surrounding said tube and saidbolt is a coiled compression spring I2, the ends of which bear againstsuitable abutments with which said tube and said bolt are provided. Ashere shown, the front end of said tube and the rear end of said bolt areprovided with simple and inexpensive sheet metal end pieces, which notonly constitute the abutments for the ends of the compression spring I2but also, .con-

stitute the means by which said tube and said bolt are pivotally securedto the automobile door I and the automobile body portion 4 on which saiddoor is hinged.

The sheet metal end piece I4 here shown (see Fig. '7) for the tube 8comprises a substantially flat abutment portion I5 having a centrallydisposed aperture to enable it to be mounted on the front end portion ofsaid'tube, and a pair of generally parallel perforated ears I6 whichproject, when said end piece is mounted upon the front end of said tube,forwardly beyond said tube and thereby provide a means for enabling saidtube to be pivotally secured either to the 0 automobile door I or to theautomobile body portion 4. To retain said end piece on the front end ofsaid tube, said tube is provided at its front end with an annular flangeI1, which may be economically formed as an integral part of said tube bya swaging operation or the like. As

shown, said tube flange I'I extends radially out- -ward and provides arigid backing for the abutment portion I5 of the tube end piece, and assaid abutment portion is firmly held against said tube flange by thecompression spring I2, the assembly with said tube of its end piece issecurely maintained.

The end piece I9 here shown (see Fig. 6) for the bolt 9 comprises asubstantially flat abutment portion 20 having a centrally disposedaperture to enable it to be mounted on the threaded rear end of saidbolt, and a pair of converging perforated ears 2I which project, whensaid end piece is mounted upon the outer end of said bolt, rearwardlybeyond said bolt and thereby provide 5 a means for enabling said bolt tobe pivotally secured to either the door I or the automobile body portion4. To-retain said end piece on the rear end of said bolt. saidbolt hasthreaded on its rear end a nut 22, rotation of which nut relal0 tive tosaid end piece is prevented by the ears 2I of said end piece. As will bereadily understood, said nut provides a rigid backing for the abutmentportion 20 of the bolt end piece, and as such I abutment portion isfirmly held against said nut 15 by the compression spring I2, theassembly with said bolt of its end piece is securely maintained. As hereshown, the relative diameters of the tube 8 and the compression springI2 are such that said spring more or less snugly surrounds 0 said tube,and as a result, there is no liability of lateral displacement of thatend of the spring which engages the abutment portion I5 of the tube endpiece I I. In order to prevent, however, any lateral displacement ofthat end of the com- 25 pression spring which engages the abutmentportion 20 of the bolt end piece I9, saidabutment portion is hereprovided, at its periphery, with laterally bent flanges 23, the effectof which is to provide for this end of the compression spring 30 asocket or the like which efi'ectively prevents lateral displacementthereof. If desired, and as here shown, the socket forming flanges 23 ofthe end piece I8 may be integral parts of the metal of which such endpiece is formed, the formation 35 of such end piece being eflected bysimple shearing and stamping operations.

As heretofore pointed out, either of the two telescopically relatedmembers of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive may-be pivotally securedto 40 the automobile door I. That is to say, the tube 8 may be pivotallysecured to the door I and the bolt 9 pivotally secured to the'automobilebody portion 4, or the bolt 9 may be pivotally secured to such door andthe tube 8 pivotally secured to 45 such body portion. In either case,the tube and the bolt are pivotally secured to said door and said bodyportion between the general planes of their inner and outer side walls,the general plane of any such side wall, as that term is here used,being'the plane which not only includes such side wall but which extendstherebeyond.

In Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the accompanying v drawings, the bolt 9 ispivotally secured to the automobile door I, between the general planes55 v of its inner and outer side walls 24 and 25, and

the tube 8 is pivotally secured to the automobile body portion 4,between the general planes of its inner and outer side walls 26 and 21.As there shown, the perforated ears 2I of the bolt end piece I9 arepivotally secured, by the use of a rivet 28 or the like, to a bracketwith which said door is suitably provided, such as to a bracket 29secured to the hinge edge wall 2 of said door; and the perforated ears I8 of the tube end piece 35 I4 are pivotally secured, by the use of arivet 38 or the like, to bracket means with which said body portion issuitably provided, such as to the brackets 3| secured to the inner sideWall 28 of said body portion some distance forwardly of its 70 hingeedge wall 3. Such a mounting requires, of course, the provision of asuitable opening, such as the transverse slot 33 here shown, in saidhinge edge wall for the extension therethrough of the bolt 9 and thecompression spring I2 dur- 75 ing opening and closing movements of thedoor I,

and if the automobile body portion 4 is provided with a reinforcementpillar, such as the one here shown, it is also necessary to provide asuitable 5 opening, such as the transverse slot 85 here shown, in thetransverse wall 84 of said pillar. Although the slots 83 and 38 must bein alignment, they need not be, and here are not, coextensive in length(see Fig. 4).

For the accomplishment of its door checking function. the device ofFigs. 1 to 5 inclusive is provided with means for limiting the-movementof its bolt 8 with respect to its tube 8 during opening movement of thedoor with which such device is used, and inasmuch as said bolt isconnected to and moves with said door, the arresting of bolt movement ina door opening direction also arrests, as will be readily understood,corresponding movement of said door. 20 As here shown, the device ofFigs. 1 to 5 inelusive has the rear end of its tube 8 turned radiallyinward to provide an annular abutment flange 31, the location of saidflange, with respect to the head ill of the bolt 8, being such that saidflange is engaged by said bolt head'or by a resilient cushioning memberassociated therewith, such as the rubber disc 88 here shown-when thedoor with which such device is used has reached its fully open position.As a result, the movement of the bolt 9 in a door opening direction, andthe corresponding movement of the door to which said bolt is pivotallyconnected, are limited or arrested, as desired, and it is thereforewholly unnecessary to provide for said door a separate checking meansfor the purpose of checking or arresting its opening movement when saiddoor has reached its fully open position.

Instead of having such door opening device ex- 40 tend into theautomobile body portion, as in Figs.

1 to 5 inclusive, said device may extend into the automobile door, andsuch a reverse mounting is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. As there shown,the tube 8 is located within the left front auto- 45 mobile door la, theend piece ll of such tube being pivotally connected to a bracket Ilasuitably secured to the inner side wall 24a of said door some distancerearwardly of its hinge edge wall 2a; and the end piece i9 01 the bolt 8is 50 pivotally connected to a bracket 29a suitably secured to the hingeedge wall 8a of the automobile body portion to. With such a mounting,

it is, of course, merely necessary to provide a suitable opening, suchas the transverse slot 88a 55 here shown, in the hinge edge wall 2a ofthe door la, for the extension therethrough of the bolt 8 and thecompression spring l2.during opening and closing movements of said door,all as will be readily understood.

go With either mounting, the compression spring I2, during the manualmovement to closed position of the door with which it is used, will becompressed (as in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive and Fig. 8) and thereby put indesired loaded con- 5 dition, and upon the unlatching of said door, saidspring will automatically effect, by the force of its expansion, themovementofsaid door to either a partially open position, or ashereshown, to its fully open position, the position of the 70 door I in Fig.5 and the position of the door In in Fig. 9. 'If it is desired thateither the door I or the door la be automatically movable to a partiallyopen position only (and manually movable to its fully open position), itis merely l5 necessary to have weaker or shorter, or both,

the coiled compression spring of the device which is used with saiddoor, or in other words, to have said spring of such character that itis incapable oi automatically moving said door beyond the desiredpartially open position, all as will be readily understood.

As heretofore pointed out, devices embodying the present invention notonly automatically'effect, upon the unlatching of the doors with whichthey are used, the opening of said doors to the extent desired but also,yieldingly resist the closing of said doors from the positions to whichthey are automatically opened. Moreover, devices embodying the presentinvention also may effect, if desired, the checking or arresting of theopening movement of the doors with which such devices are used when said.doors reach.

their fully open positions, as will be readily understood from theforegoing description of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive. Inasmuchas the compression spring I! of the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive iseffective to fully open the door I or the door la, closing movement ofeither door from its fully open position is yieldingly resisted, and maresult, said door is releasabiy held or retained in its fully openposition whenever it is moved thereto. With the device of Figs. 1 to 9inclusive, therefore, no separate holding means is necessary forreleasably retaining the door with which said device is used in itsfully open position. If, on the other hand, the door l or the door la isautomatically movable by the device of Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive to apartially open position only, and ii the releasable retention of saiddoor in its fully open position is desired, the use of separate holdingmeans for said door is necessary for that purpose, although the closingof said door from said partially open position would be yieldinglyresisted, of course, by said device. Therefore, if said door had anormal tendency to close, like most present-day automobile doors, itremains in the partially open position to which it is automaticallymovable. unless it were manually closed or manually moved to a furtheropen position, all as will be readily understood.

In Figs. 10 and 11, two modified forms of devices embodying the presentinvention are illustrated, devices which include, in addition to coiledcompression springs, telescopically related members of tubular form. Inthe device of Fig. 10, there is an outer tube 8a and an inner tube 81),and said telescopically related tubes are surrounded by a coiledcompression spring in. The

ends 01'. said spring abut or engage, as here shown, suitable end piecesIla with which the outer ends of said tubes are provided, said endpieces, ii."

desired and as here shown, being identical with the sheet metal andpiece ll heretofore described and being maintained in assembly with thetubes 8a and 8b in the same manner in which the end piece It ismaintained in assembly with the tube 8 of the device of Figs. 1 to 9inclusive. For the pivotal connection of the device of Fig. '10 to adoor structure and its supporting structure, such as to an automobiledoor and that portion of the automobile body on which said door ishinged, suitable brackets, such asthe simple sheet metal brackets 40shown in Fig 10, may be utilized,'

all as will be readily understood.

7 In the device of Fig. 11, a coiled compression spring I2?) is arrangedwithin the telescopically related inner and'outer tubes 4| and 42. Ex-

tending transversely through the rear end por- "w tion of the inner tubeII and the front end por tion of the outer tube "are rivets 43 or .the

like by which said tubes are pivotally connected to attaching brackets49a, and although said rivets may serve, if desired, as the abutmentsfor the ends of the compression spring I'Zb, the ends of said springhere engage sheet metal abutment members 45 of generally cup-shape, thecylindrical side walls of said abutment members being suitably slottedto enable them to be mounted, by endwisemovement thereof, upon saidrivets, all as will be readily understood.

Inasmuch as the devices of Figs. and 11 A are adapted to be pivotallysecured to a door structure and its supporting structure, such as 15 toan automobile door and that portion of the automobile body upon. whichsaid door is hinged, in substantially the same manner as the device ofFigs. 1 to 9, and inasmuch as the devices of Figs. 10 and 11 operate insubstantially the same manner as the device of Figs. 1 to 9 toautomatically open to the desired extent the doors with which they areused and to yieldingly resist the closing of said doors from the openpositions to which said doors are automaticallymovable, no furtherreference to the devices of Figs. -10 and 11 is believed to benecessary. It should be pointed out, however, that neither the device ofFig. 10 nor the device of Fig. 11 is shown as provided with means forlimiting the opening movement of the door with which it is used.However, either of those devices can be made to accomplish that resultby providing-its telescopically related members with means for limitingtheir extension or elongation, as in the device of Figs. 1 to 9inclusive and as will be readily understood.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be readilyapparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates.

What I claim is:

l. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that thehinge edge walls of said structures are in op- .positely positionedrelationship when the door 45 structure is closed, said devicecomprising a pair of lappingly related elements, one pivotally securedto each of said structures between the general planes of its two sidewalls, and expansible means cooperable with said elements, said'ex- 50pansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during theclosing of the door structure and being effective when so loaded toautomatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an openposition. 55 2. A device for automatically swinging to an open positiona closed but unlatched door structure so hinged on a supportingstructure that the hinge edge walls of said structures are in oppositelypositioned relationship when the door 60 structure is closed, saiddevice comprising a pair of elements, one pivotally secured to each ofsaid structures between the general planes of its two side walls,expansible means carried by said elements, said expansible means beingput in the 65 desired loaded condition during the closing of the doorstructure and beingeffective when so loaded to automatically swing saidclosed door structure, if unlatched, to an open position, and meansassociated with at least one of said ele- 70 ments for limiting theautomatic opening movement of said door structure.

3. A. device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that the 75hinge edge walls of said structures are in oppcsitely positionedrelationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprisingelongated expansible means having one of its end portions pivotallysecured to the hinge edge wall of one of said structures and having itsother end portion located within and pivotally secured to the other ofsaid structures between the general planes of its two side walls, saidexpansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during theclosing of the door structure and being efiective when so loaded toautomatically swing said closed door-structure, if unlatched, to an openposition.

4. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that thehinge edge walls of said structures are in oppositely positionedrelationship when. the door structure is closed, said device comprisingelongated expansible means pivotally associated with each of saidstructures between the general planes of its two side walls, saidexpansible means being put in the desired loaded condition during theclosing of the door structure and being effective when so loaded toautomatically swing said closed door structure, if unlatched, to an openposition.

5. A device for automatically swinging to an open position, a closed butunlatched door strucso loaded to automatically swing said closed doorstructure, if unlatched, to an open-position.

6. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closedbutunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that thehinge edge walls of said structures are in oppositely positionedrelationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising apair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structuresbetween the general planes of its two side walls, expansible meanscarried-by said elements, said expansible means being put in the desiredloaded condition during the closing oi the door structure and beingeflective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed doorstructure, if unlatched, to an open position, and

positioned relationship when the door a pair of abutments one associatedwith each-of said elements for checking by their engagement with eachother the opening movement ofsaid door structure when it reaches itsfully open position.

7. A device for automatically swinging to an open position a closed butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that thehinge edge walls of such structures are in oppositely positionedrelationship when the door structure isiclosed, said device comprising apair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structuresbetween the general planes of its two sidewalls, expansible means guidedby said elements and confinedbetween two abutments, one associated witheach of said structures, the confinement of said expansible meansbetween said abutments during the closing of the door structureeffecting the loading of said expansible means and said expansible meanswhen so loaded being effective to automatically swing said closed doorstructure, it unlatched, to an open posi- 1 tion, and opposing abutmentscarriedby said elements for limiting by their engagement with each otherthe extent to which said door structure can be opened.

8. A device 'i'or automatically swinging to an openposition a closed butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that thehinge edge walls of such structures are in oppositely positionedrelationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising apair of elements, one pivotally secured to each of said structuresbetween the general planes of its two ments carried by said elements forlimiting by their engagement with each other the extent to which saiddoor structure can be opened.

9. A device for automaticallyswinging to an open position a closed-butunlatched door structure so hinged on a supporting structure that thehinge edge walls of such structures are in oppositely positionedrelationship when the door structure is closed, said device comprising apair oi elongated elements, one pivotailysecured to each or saidstructures between the general planes 0! its two side walls, expanslblemeans surrounding said elements, said expansible means being put in thedesired loaded condition during the closing of the door structure andbeing eilective when so loaded to automatically swing said closed doorstructure, it unlatched, to an open position, one 01' said elementsbeing of tubular form for the telescopic reception of the other and saidelements having opposing abutments for limiting by their engagement witheach other the extent to which said door structure can be opened.

RUDOLPH I. scnom'rznn.

